Musings from #oldguywritesbooks (a series)
The phrase “a leap of faith” originated in the mid-1800s but gained popularity in the 1900s. It comes from the Latin word “saltus fidei,” which Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard coined. He used it as a metaphor for religious belief in God. As it applies to this issue of your taking “a leap of faith” to become an author, I submit that it’s with the understanding that with God, anything is possible.
Why is deciding to author a book a leap of faith? In a previous article in this series, I offered some of the main reasons, fear, risk, and the stumbling blocks our minds typically conjure up. Trust me, it takes a leap of faith to back away from those reasons for not becoming an author and into the confidence to allow yourself to think, “I can do this.” And there are other key factors involved in allowing yourself to think that way.
- As an author, you face the uncertainty of who will read your work; you write with the hope that people will read what you have decided to share with the world, but you are willing to take this risk regardless.
- As an author, you should understand the demographics of the reading public and know that not only is the reading public a finicky lot, but also a smaller portion of the public than most would assume; yet you are willing to author your material anyway.
Through this short piece, maybe you have concluded that within the framework of this discussion lies a semblance of the old “chicken and the egg” or the “horse and cart” adages. If so, you are correct. What comes first? The leap of faith or confidence? My response, as convoluted as it may sound, is both! One needs some confidence to take a leap of faith in the first place, yet one gains confidence by taking a leap of faith.
There is some logic, after all, in the famous Nike slogan, “Just do it.” And that’s my suggestion to you as you try to decide if you should author a book or not—just do it. Then you needn’t have to be concerned about which came first and that energy can be directed to where it rightfully belongs—your writing.